Brazil has the 9th largest economy in the world, with a GDP of USD 1.86 trillion, of which USD 160 billion represents the health sector. The Brazilian government operates the largest universal health care systems to date, providing free services to over 210 million people through the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). It also has the world’s second-largest private health sector, which includes some of the world’s best-performing hospital groups.
Furthermore, Brazil is the leading medical device market in Latin America and the second-largest pharmaceutical market in the world. The Brazilian economy has been struggling over the past years and more recently, was hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. As healthcare demands are growing and resources in the public sector become scarcer, Brazil’s health system is transforming to become future-proof, in which digitalization plays a central role.. This transformation leads to opportunities for Dutch healthcare solutions in areas such as health information management systems, telemedicine and high-tech equipment for which Brazil depends on imports. The large industries and excellent science, technology and innovation climate in Brazil also provide opportunities for the Dutch sector related to STI cooperation and investments.
Additionally, Brazil is a crucial partner in Global Health, a country where the challenges of climate change, biodiversity, human development and health(care) all come together in One Health. It is a global leader in combatting infectious and tropical diseases and notwithstanding the dismal response of the previous federal government to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil has a longer standing reputation to respond adequately to infectious disease outbreaks thanks to a well-organized data infrastructure, a strong scientific base and home-based vaccine and medication production. In recent years biotechnology and (bio)pharmaceutical innovation is on the rise, which combined with its leadership in combatting infectious and tropical disease, makes it interesting for innovative biotechnology companies.
